FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: 5/12/25
MEDIA CONTACT: Edder Díaz Martínez, Communications Manager, GreenLatinos, [email protected], 602-832-6039
WASHINGTON— Last week, 130 Catholic Cardinals from over 70 countries came together in a conclave to determine the next Pope. On the second day, American Robert Francis Prevost was elected Pope, taking the name Leo XIV.
Following the announcement of this news, GreenLatinos Founding President and CEO, Mark Magaña, released the following statement:
“As part of a comunidad rooted in the struggles and aspirations of the less fortunate, I warmly welcome the election of Pope Leo XIV. His decades of pastoral and social work across Latin America—especially in Peru—have shaped a deep understanding of the intersection between faith, human dignity, and ecological responsibility.
Pope Leo XIV’s decision to address the world in Spanish speaks volumes. It is not only a nod to his Latin American roots but a powerful gesture of solidarity with millions across the Global South whose voices are too often marginalized. It signals that the Vatican is listening—to campesinos, Indigenous defenders of the land, migrant families searching for justice, and communities fighting environmental degradation.
Throughout his career, Pope Leo XIV has demonstrated a clear commitment to human rights, compassion for migrants, and the urgent need to protect our planet. We are particularly hopeful that under his leadership, the Church will continue to be a moral voice supporting climate justice, centering the poor and vulnerable who suffer first and worst from environmental harm.
We stand ready to work alongside Pope Leo XIV to build a more just, sustainable, and compassionate world.”
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About GreenLatinos
GreenLatinos (NOTE: GreenLatinos is ONE WORD) is an active comunidad of Latino/a/e leaders, emboldened by the power and wisdom of our culture, united to demand equity and dismantle racism, resourced to win our environmental, conservation, and climate justice battles, and driven to secure our political, economic, cultural, and environmental liberation.
